AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

This invention relates autonomous vehicles and, more especially, this invention relates to a cellular route system for autonomous vehicles.

Autonomous vehicles are sometimes known as driverless vehicles. The development of autonomous vehicles is its infancy. When the development of autonomous vehicles progresses, a problem will occur in that the autonomous vehicles will need to be deployed in an optimum manner. A further problem will occur in that in the initial stages of development, there will only be small pilot schemes.

It is an aim of the present invention to address these problems.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided a cellular route system for autonomous vehicles, which cellular route system comprises:

(i) routes for the autonomous vehicles;

(ii) node stops at which passengers can leave the autonomous vehicles and get on the autonomous vehicles; and

(iii) station nodes located at extremities of the cellular route system; and the cellular route system being such that it is constructed and adapted to be connected to other similar cellular route systems.

The cellular route system of the present invention is able to ensure that the autonomous vehicles are deployed in an optimum manner. The cellular route system is able to take into account the demands of operation of supervisory systems, and the application of various types of drive means for autonomous vehicles, including electric drive means powered by one or more batteries. The cellular route system of the present invention is able to accommodate what would be expected to be slow, guarded and staged acceptance of autonomous vehicles into widespread public use. With the cellular route system of the present invention, initial cellular route systems can be limited in size, both in terms of node stops, station stops, and route distances. As the acceptance and use of the autonomous vehicles increases, then additional cellular route systems of the present invention can be connected together because the cellular route systems are constructed and adapted for being connected together.

The cellular route system of the present invention allows for limited initial operation, whilst not constricting future deployment of city-wide systems. The cellular approach enables independent cells to be operated, each with their own supervisory system, and with vehicle refuelling points, for example vehicle recharging points when the autonomous vehicles are battery operated.

The cellular route system may be one in which the auxiliary vehicles in each system do not in use transfer between connected ones of the cellular route systems. Thus each individual cellular route system may have its own local control of both vehicle operation, vehicle servicing, and vehicle refuelling, for example vehicle recharging.

Alternatively, the cellular route system may be one in which the autonomous vehicles in each system transfer in use between connected ones of the cellular route systems. With such a cellular route system, each cellular route system could allow through travel for some vehicles. This would provide longer continuous trips without changing vehicles. It would also allow fleet redistribution to suit traffic levels, time of day, and direction of flow. It would further allow vehicle servicing, vehicle additions, and/or removal from the system. A vehicle would be able to enter an identified through bay. Two neighbouring supervisory systems could complete a computer controlled hand shake and, after clearances, the vehicle would be adopted into the neighbouring system.

The cellular route system may be such that the routes are of any suitable and desired configuration. Thus the routes may be linear and/or circular and/or square and/or rectangular.

The present invention also extends to a plurality of the cellular route systems when connected together, and in which the stations nodes are common termini.

The cellular route system may be used by autonomous vehicles which are two or four wheel drive autonomous vehicles. The autonomous vehicles may also be two or four wheel steer autonomous vehicles. The autonomous vehicles may also be uni-directional or bi-directional vehicles. The autonomous vehicles may comprise drive means, steering means, braking means, energy storage means, and guidance and obstacle detection means. The drive means may be convertible from one drive type to another. The drive means may thus be convertible from electric battery to electric hybrid. The drive means may also be convertible from uni-directional to bidirectional operation. Generally, the drive means may be battery operated, liquid fuel operated, or gas fuel operated. The drive means may be a single type of drive means operating on one energy source only. Alternatively, the drive means may be a hybrid drive means able to operate on more than one source of energy as required.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows three separate types of cellular route systems of the present invention;

Figure 2 illustrates how cellular route systems may be connected together and on an increasingly large scale; and

Figure 3 is like Figure 2 and again shows how individual cellular route systems may be connected together and on an increasingly large scale.

Referring to Figure 1 , there are shown three cellular route systems 2, 4, 6 for autonomous vehicles. The cellular route system 2 is a linear cellular route system. The cellular route system 4 is a square cellular route system. The cellular route system 6 is a substantially circular cellular route system. Thus the cellular route system 2 has a linear route 8. The cellular route system 4 has a number of routes 10 which are all rectilinear routes 10. The cellular route system 6 has a substantially circular route 12. All of the routes have node stops 14 at which passengers can leave the autonomous vehicles and get on the autonomous vehicles. Although not shown in Figure 1 , the cellular route systems 2, 4, 6 will be such that they have station nodes located at extremities of the cellular route systems.

Figure 2 shows the cellular route systems 2 and 4 provided with station nodes 16. The station nodes 16 enable the cellular route systems 2 and 4 to be linked together as shown. Figure 2 also shows a basically circular cellular route system 18 which can be considered as a multiple of the cellular route system 6. The cellular route system 18 has a station node 20 which enables it to be connected to the cellular route system 4 via station nodes 22 in the cellular route system 4.

Figure 3 shows a cellular route system 24 which may be regarded as an enlarged version of the cellular route system 2. Figure 3 also shows a cellular route system 26 which may be regarded as an enlarged version of the cellular route system 4. Figure 3 also shows the cellular route system 18. The cellular route systems 24 and 26 are connected together by station nodes 28. The cellular route systems 18, 26 are connected together by station nodes 30. The cellular route system 18 is such that the circular routes are connected by linear routes 32 so that autonomous vehicles and passengers are not limited to any one particular circle. Similarly, the three linear routes 8 in the cellular route system 24 are connected together by connecting routes 34 as shown. It will be appreciated from the drawings that the illustrated cellular route systems allow limited initial operation, whilst not constricting future deployment of citywide systems. By using a cellular approach, all autonomous vehicle systems can initially be operated as independent cells, each with their own supervisory system, and vehicle recharging/refuelling points. Each cell has a mixture of routes, node stops and station nodes. The station nodes are located at the extremities of the systems. The cellular approach allows the expansion of each autonomous vehicle cellular route system as supervisory and recharging systems are developed and deployed.

Future expansion of numerous cells is able to be undertaken until neighbouring systems interfere with each other. The relevant station nodes are then shared by neighbouring systems.

The autonomous vehicles in each system may not transfer in use between cellular route systems due to local control of both vehicle operation and vehicle servicing, including recharging or other refuelling. Alternatively, there may be through travel between cellular route systems.

With the station nodes becoming common termini, citywide travel is able to be expedited using autonomous vehicles across multiple autonomous vehicle cellular route systems. This approach allows a practical, safe and affordable deployment of autonomous vehicles on a gradual cell-by-cell basis.

Any combination of linear and circular routes, including branches is available. The invention allows expandable operation as developments of intelligent traffic systems and battery electric vehicles. Neighbouring cells are connected at common nodes to allow transfers and charging. This allows eventual development towards city-wide operations as technology handles larger cells. The cellular route systems have a multiplicity of separate routes with identified, or at least identifiable, nodes that act as stops and/or stations. These nodes define the extent of the routes and the overall network.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, by computer simulation, or other analytical means, the effective coverage of the routes and networks is able to be established. This includes the establishing of walk and wait times at each node. The extensions to the cellular route systems can be added in a rational manner in order to offer the overall cellular route system with relatively standard walk-and-wait times. Individual components shown in the drawings are not limited to use in their drawings and they may be used in other drawings and in all aspects of the invention.